Banner voters OK bond issues

Just over 14 percent of Canadian County voters turned out for the primary runoff Tuesday to choose once and for all their party’s choices for lieutenant governor and to pass a school bond.

In Banner School District, voters approved two bond propositions by more than the required 60 percent majority. For Proposition 1 for $65,000 for kitchen upgrades, the vote was 123 to 73, or 63.76 percent of the vote. For Proposition 2 for $185,000 to buy two buses, the vote was 121 to 75 or 61.73 percent of the vote.

In the only statewide race, a hotly contested lieutenant governor battle on the Republican ballot saw House Speaker Todd Hiett defeat Tulsa state Sen. Scott Pruitt by a vote of 66,217 to 63,812, or 50.9 percent of the vote.

In Canadian County, Hiett won by just over 54 percent of the vote, tallying 2,651 votes to Pruitt’s 2,245.

Hiett will face Jari Askins who on Tuesday defeated Pete Regan to win the Democratic nomination by a vote of 95,087 to 81,622, or close to 54 percent of the statewide vote. In Canadian County, Askins drew 1,663 votes to Regan’s 1,351, taking more than 55 percent of votes cast.

In the GOP race of statewide importance, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin defeated Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett. Across the district, Fallin earned more than 63 percent of the GOP vote, defeating Cornett 26,744 to 15,665.

Fallin will face Democrat contender David Hunter of Oklahoma City and Independent Max Matthew Horton in the Nov. 7 general election. The election will determine who replaces outgoing 5th District Congressman Ernest Istook, who wants to unseat Gov. Brad Henry in November.

More locally, in the state House of Representatives District 41 race for the GOP candidate, Jeff Davis of Waukomis easily outpaced his opponent, John T. Enns of Piedmont in Canadian County by a vote of 1,324 to 233, but across the district, Enns took more than 58 percent of the vote. Enns will face Democrat Carol Ruth in November.

The district includes parts of Yukon and Piedmont and stretches north to Enid.

In Tuesday’s election, 8,155 voters cast ballots out of the 55,928 registered in Canadian County. Republicans cast 4,938 ballots and Democrats cast 3,019.